Treadle mechanism



Feb, 10, 1925.

. F. P. PRINDLE TREADLE MECHANISM Filed March ll, 1922 Patented Feb.` 10, 1925.

vnum-:n STATES Fannie r. PRINDLE, Vor NEW BRITMMCONNECT'ICUT.

TREADLE MEGHANISM.

Applicationled March 11, 11922. Serial No. 542,911. 4

To all whom t may concern.'

Be. it known that I, FRANK l. PRINDLE, a citizen of the United States,.a resident of New Britain, in thelcounty of Hartford-and State of Connecticut, have invented a` cer.- tain new and useful Treadle 'Mi-ichanism,` of which the following is a specificaton.

This invention has as an object a new and improved form of treadle mechanism for` use in operating "machines of various kinds-` It has as an cbj a treadlewmeclmnism `of such `construction that `the machine may be run fastl with a slow movement of the treadle. `A furtherob-ject is to so design the treadle mechanism that the operator may operate it without any lifting motion of the leg so thathe will not easily lbecome tired from the work- `A` still further object. is to so design the `treadle mechanism that there may be utilized the maximum power of anoperator in a sitting position while at the Sametime avoiding fatigue due to the constantoperation of the treadle. Furthermore, itis an objjectsof'the invention to designthe mechanism sothat space will be economized particularly in a horizontal direction inV order that the machine may be set up against a wall. Furtherobjects will appear hereinafter.

These objects are accomplished in the present invention as illustrated by the following description which is a preferred embodiment. The annexed drawing which forms part of this specification illustrates said preferred embodiment, and the figure is a side elevation of the treadle mechanism mounted adjacent a vertical wall of a building.

In said drawing there is shown a treadle l mounted upon a shaft 2 upon which is also mounted a small gear 3 meshing with an other larger gear a mounted upon its shaft 5. An elbow crank 6 is also mounted upon the shaft 5 and is connected by a journal 7 to a connecting rod 8 which is j ournaled by a journal 9 to the end of the treadle lever. A pulley l() is also mounted upon the shaft 2 and a belt or a cord 1l is passed over the pulley for driving the machine. The table 12 represents the working platform of the machine which is shown positioned against a wall 13. The mechanism is of course supported by suitable standards, not shown, at a suitable distance above the floor convenient to the operator. The operation of the mechanism is evident from the above description, and may be brieiiystated as follows As `the treadle l is pushed forward by the `foot of the operator the connecting rod 8 exertsfa pulling` effort upon the elbow crank 6, which causes the shaft 5 to rotate together with the gear L@which in turn drives the small gear 3 and the pulley l0. v

It is advantageous to have the parts proportionedtoprovide a fast m-ovcmentof the machine for a. given movement of the treadle, and the following` proportions pro# videa ratio of- 31/3 revolutions of the belt wheel 1 0 for one swing of the foot. The large gear 4l is accordingly given a l0 diamet-err, the small gearl'a dial-neter of and the belt wheel a diameter of 12; the dise tance` between the centers of o-urnal's- 7 and 9 isti, andithe distance between the'centers of journals 7 and 5 is 11/2, the swing of the treadle. is 7. The arrangement of the mechanism is substantially that shown in the `drawing,which ifs drawn to a scale of aboutlzl, Y y j The above described treadle mechanism may 'be `used fbrfoperating sewingA machines, lathes and other machine-shop mechanisms advantageously operated by the foot of an operator, and any other mechanism where such a treadle would be serviceable. It will be apparent that this mechanism takes up but little space particularly in a horizontal direction, and it may therefore be moved up close against a wall to be out of the way. The treadle is supported from the shaft 2 and will therefore support the leg of the operator, thereby preventing fatigue, so that all that is required of the operator is to push the treadle forward in a substantially hori- .i

zontal plane. No lifting of the leg will be required, and it will therefore he possible for the operato-r to run the machine in a sitting posture, which is a difficult position in the case of most treadle mechanisms since the operator can exert but little power in (lll thereof except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A treadle mechanism comprising a shaft, a treadle lever mounted upon the shaft to provide a. substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a. pulley on the shaft and means connected to the short end of the lever for operating the pulley.

2. A treadle mechanism comprising a treadle lever mounted upon a shaft to provide a. substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a connecting rod journaled in the short end of the lever and mounted to operate a gear, and means connected to the gear for driving a pulley mounted on the iirst mentioned shaft.

3. A treadle mechanism comprising a treadle lever mounted upon a shaft so as to provide a substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a connecting rod journaled to the short end of the lever and having an elbow crank journa-led in its other end, an elbow crank mounted upon a second shaft, a large gear upon said shaft, a small gear lixed upon the first mentioned shaft and in mesh With said rst mentioned gear, and a driving pulley ixed upon said first mentioned shaft.

Ll. A treadle mechanism comprising a treadle lever mounted on a shaft so as to provide a substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a pulley on said shaft, and means connected to the short end of the lever for driving a driving mechanism for the pulley, said treadle and said means being arranged in a vertical direction so that they Will economize space horizontally.

5. A treadle mechanism comprising a shaft, a single treadlemounted upon the shaft so as to provide a substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a pulley on the shaft, and means connected to the short lever arm of the treadle lever for driving said pulley.

6. A treadle mechanism comprising a single treadle mounted upon a shaflt so as to provide a substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a driving pulley and a small gear upon said shaft, a large gear meshing with said small gear, an-d means connected to the short lever arm of the treadle for driving said large gear.

7. A treadle mechanism comprising a single treadle lever mounted on a shaft so as to provide a substantially horizontal motion for the treadle, a small gear and a driving pulley on said shaft and a larger gear in mesh With the small gear mounted upon another sha-ft, and means connecting the short lever arm of the treadle With the large gear to canse it to be rotated, said gears, treadle and connecting means being so proportioned as to provid-e for three rotations of the 'driving pulley for one forward movement of the treadle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 1l day of February, 1922.

FRANK P. PRINDLE. 

